Pinocchio in Tehran: A response to Tehran Bureau/The Guardian’s Propaganda

Virtually everyone is familiar with Pinocchio’s story __ a wooden puppet carved by Gepetto brought to life by a fairy that instructed him to be “brave, truthful, and unselfish” in order to remain a real boy. What I remember the most about Pinocchio was his failure to heed the fairy, his nose growing longer with every lie. This seems to be the case with Tehran Bureau’s unnamed correspondent who failed to heed the “ canons of journalism ” by making up tall stories about Iran in her article “ How the hijab has made sexual harassment worse in Iran ” __ in effect turning herself into

Correspondent Pinocchio (CP).

CP writes a damning account of being sexually harassed in Iran, of being subjected to “ogling”, “whistling, hissing, smacking, licking, puffing” and “unhindered expressions of lust and profanity”. She backs her personal account with remarks from a friend who told her that she felt “naked, and worthless.” Not only is CP claiming that hijab has made the situation worse for women, but she also quotes someone as saying: “Basically, a woman shouldn’t walk in the street without male protection,”. What nonsense.

Now as a scholar of US foreign policy I pay close attention to propaganda. Misinformation is nothing new to me and I don’t like to spend my time and energy responding to all the lies. But this particular article by CP hit me hard because I happen to be in Iran at the moment and in the same exact location/neighborhood she mentions in her tall tale. And had it not been for the fact that the evening prior to reading her story I had been talking to my husband in California telling him that never had I felt more safe and comfortable walking alone and eating alone in a restaurant than I did here, I would have dismissed CP’s propaganda. But CP’s lies had a personal effect on me and I could not let it rest __especially in light of Tehran Bureau’s malicious history.

Tehran Bureau (TB) was established shorty prior to the 2009 elections in Iran. It would seem the sole purpose at the time was to start false allegations about the 2009 elections in Iran (Foreign Policy Journal Editor Jeremy Hammond has a brilliant piece on this HERE ). TB’s ability to promote lies and with it, unrest, must have caught the attention of PBS. Tehran Bureau is now affiliated with PBS. PBS receives funding from the Federal Government . Hosting Tehran Bureau by “ The Guardian ” may have well given the paper a boost for its very continuity was questionable as admitted to in 2013 when its CEO warned that his paper might not survive.

So given this colorful background of Tehran Bureau and PC’s blatant lies, I was prompted to set the record straight and share my experiences and observations which were the exact opposite of what PC wrote in her piece. What I saw and personally experienced was profound respect. No glaring stares, no harassment. Simply the kind of courtesy that is offered to a woman and that is demanded by society. It seems to me as if in Iran the hijab serves as a reminder of how men are expected to behave toward women. (See article on hijab and status of women in Iran HERE ). So what is CP on about?

Of course there is the possibility that CP is a budding beauty and Iranian men simply can’t handle her splendor (what an insult to Iranian men). Were I to give her this benefit of the doubt and imagine her to be a radiant beauty, her (possible) beauty would be completely eclipsed in Iran. As Mara wrote of the Iranian women in her 2012 article titled For the women of Iran, with Love “They are the most beautiful women I have ever seen”. I concur__ as do many others. Iranian men are accustomed to beauty. So I tend to dismiss her claims of “harassment” based on her glamor.

On the other hand, it may be that she was completely ignored. After all, in many countries around the world men do indeed harass women and make sexual overtures. Some women are flattered while others are offended. But being invisible is not easy to handle. Being invisible may be likened to a blank piece of paper on which one can write anything and all things imaginary – depending on one’s inclination. What is an undisputed fact is that contrary to CP’s report, many Iranian women go all out to become visible.

I spent hours in a coffee shop in a beautiful park (Ab o Atash – literal translation water and fire) near where CP claims to have walked, and watched young women. Faces made up, dressed fashionably in their colorful hijab they paraded around like peacocks that opens their glorious tails in order to attract attention. Sadly for them, I was doing the glaring while they were left mostly unnoticed. And in their midst there were also women who did not venture out to make an impression with their hairdo and clothing. They were beautiful in their simplicity and modesty. I made a mental note of them too, of their ease and confidence.

Now it would be a lie to claim that all women are ignored and all men here are well behaved. With all the demonizing of Iranians, it may be hard to believe that Iranians are normal! As with every other country in the world, there are men who harass women and who make unsolicited approaches. This is more a personal upbringing than a norm. In the pre-revolution years, when I visited Iran as a very young teenager, harassment and catcalling was prevalent. As a shy girl, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me up so that I would be spared the stares, the pestering. But things have changed. What was once common is truly rare these days. Men would not dare disrespect women__and they don’t.

I would very much like to suggest that PC take her notebook or laptop, sit in the aforementioned park (or anywhere else in Tehran and elsewhere) and speak the truth. Perhaps only then, as with Pinocchio, her courage and unselfishness to write truthfully will turn her into a real bona fide correspondent.

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich is an independent researcher and writer with a focus on US foreign policy.

The Essential Saker III: Chronicling The Tragedy, Farce And Collapse of the Empire in the Era of Mr MAGA

81 Comments

Russian commentary: “Regrettably, all attempts of the international coalition to counter the terrorist group Islamic State look more like some demonstrative steps, an attempt at simulating anti-terrorist activity,” [Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova] said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

Iranian commentary: IRGC Major General Safavi claimed that Russia is in sync with Iran regarding regional crises, including Syria. The Supreme Leader’s Senior Military Advisor accused the U.S., Israel, and “some Arab countries” of deploying “rented terrorists” to Syria to overthrow President Bashar al Assad.

Well, when I got to this blog, now just two years ago, most commentators were referring to MoA, including a very friendly commentator who is no longer here and who wrote under the name of Nora. This site, MoA, I do not visit, because of lack of time and because I have enough with Saker’s and my other blogs in Spanish, therefore, I can not say anything either good or bad, only to hear the opinions that are dumped here, and, anyway, if I had the time, would go there in order to form my own.
But Voltairenet has always been a reference for me in understanding the world, and I think that publish there very well informed people.Thierry Meysan, his founder, had to leave France under threat and since then his life is permanently threatened, he writes from Syria and has good contacts there. He has provided information which we could not read anywhere else, such as about intelligence agents infiltrated between the envoys of major European newspapers that we could know in the beginning of the Syrian conflict.

I wonder what is your interest in discrediting this site.

To tell you the truth, I trust more what has to tell me a journalist persecuted by their own government, in this case France, and exiled in Syria, that what has to tell me a former secretary in the Bush administration who is also “financial adviser for very important people in the real state”, like “your friend” Catherine Austin Fits, whom you take days doing promotion.

For the record, Thierry Meyssan, certainly, is not “my friend”.

I think your harassment to Penelope is going a little too far, included allegations of trolling. She is a very polite and informed commentator and always provide sources and links about what she is commenting. I consider her a valuable commentator here and I think, if anything, should be questioned by The Saker, and has not been.

Funny you should mention this, because i was recently thinking that both elsi and Penelope (and our beloved Kat Kan – except when she got a little stormy about a certain topic) are the most reasonable, rational, polite, courteous, and thoughtful posters on this site. I hope I’m not embarrassing you two, but you both are a wonderful example of how to conduct oneself in the internet cafe. No hysterics, no drama. I’m still grieving over Kat Kan. Kat Kan, send us a sign!

Elsi, I know from your Stalinist views that you don’t believe in free states, but just to defend myself from your attacks on a “free” blog, I will say; I don’t have to ‘promote’ Catherine, (who I’m sure you wouldn’t want to understand anyway because its about money) because Catherine has a big and honest following, on her own. She’s been around as a whistleblower for decades.

Elsi, there are rich people out there that don’t like what they’re seeing any more than you or I do. As you are a socialist communist ideologue, I know you can’t approve that, but as this is a ‘free state here on the blog, I will say I love Catherine Austin Fitts and her work, who has been through a much bigger meat grinder than Meyssan, as far as I can tell.

Sometimes I would like to ask you Elsi…what kind of a job would you like to have, if you could go back to Stalin’s era ?

Precisely because it is a free blog is that I make the effort to claim the right to Penelope to post her comments without having to endure a continuous harassment of you or others, or be regarded as something I’m not agree that she is.

The problem is that you, Ann, who, in my opinion, you take too many powers in this blog, calling troll who you think, you have an idea of ​​freedom rather strange and also interpret my defense of the right to comment of Penelope as a personal attack. To be so critical to others you should fit better than someone criticizes you something, but you always take it as tremendous.

If I put into question your friend Catherine is because you have called into question a page that I think makes a big and good journalistic work, so you understand that each of us have our reference sites and that to have other different from yours does not make us automatically trolls. Hence I have set the example of Nora, which was a much appreciated commentator here and, nevertheless, frequented MoA and kept referring to it, which does not disqualify her.

Nor to be Stalinist disqualifies anyone, although I recognize your attempt to use it as a weapon against me for adjudge me characteristics that are far from mine. You do not know me at all, even though I have expressed SOME of my ideas here on the blog. What I have no idea is about yours, although you comment on the blog daily, but no clue about what you think….
As for that categorization of “socialist communist ideologue”, thanks for the compliment, but in this you overestimate me, about socialism and communism I’m still a student.

About money, I have no problem with people who have it being product of years of hard work, I myself make my life quite well, but in my ideal world, the one for which I fight, there is no room for magicians on finances getting outrageous amounts of money moving money from one place to another or for advisors to those with outrageous amounts on how to evade taxes, but neither for people who does not want to work and wants to live at the expense of others.

About being a wistleblower, for me it is not a guarantee of anything, especially if the wistleblower in question continues to live and work freely in the state that allegedly complaint. There are many wistleblower who became wistleblower for counterintelligence, infiltrate the ranks of the resistance and thus spread disinformation while identifying people likely to be offset by the state which supposedly denounces this wistleblower. Most wistleblower who in life have been or are dead or are confined in jails, embassies or in third countries with very limited freedom of movement. It is not the case with your friend Catherine, so I doubt she is a serious wistleblower.

As for the question you ask me and which I have not to answer, because is totally off topic ( one of your specialties ) and tendentious, but I’ll do it, it’s likely that I would do the same work I do in my present life, you see, I chose it by vocation, a work very much recognized and appreciated in society, at least in mine ( European ), which, although hard enough, gives great satisfaction.

Now, looking back, I detect an area where hug blunders were committed which always were awarded to Stalin, the NKVD, and if Stalin himself would asked me to commit on it, and after the necessary training in this field where I am a neophite, I would leave my work area and would be willing to accept a responsibility that almost nobody wants. Roll up sleeves and take the bull by the horns are not things that I avoid. To do better than Beria, because of whom has been maligned both, Stalin and the USSR, until full, and some people have always a throwing weapon at hand, it would not take so much effort.

My original reply got buggered by this piece of shit called an iPhone, it amazes me that people use this 90’s retro rubbish for the web. This being a 2nd attempt will not be as detailed, nor as diplomatic.

Moon of Alabama is a pro-Zionist site catering to the azz crowd (from Atzmon, anti Zionist Zionist). Penelope is a misdirection/disinfo websayan of the same sort, though less sophisticated. I’m very surprised to see you refer to this azz troll as a valued commenter.

Penelope, a couple of months back made a determined effort to derail a thread about Israeli war crimes by posting long discredited rubbish about the Boston Marathon bombing being nothing but faked special fx. Come on, Elsi, that is Standard websayan misdirection tactics. Look beyond what they say at the moment, the things write anything they think will fly.

Bernhardt Horstmann banned me from moa for writing anti-zionazi material after giving me a couple of warnings to stop. Mulgamumblebrain was less fortunate, b bounced him in a matter of hours. I suggest you stick to discussing the nfl, David, rather than running interference for the tribe. ;

Vot tak,it was the quickest expulsion that I’ve ever suffered-and I’ve suffered quite a few. Once you criticise any Jew anywhere, for any behaviour, even that which would be universally condemned if committed by a goy, you are for the high jump. The only group in history who are, apparently, utterly incapable of sin, crime or even error. It must be a heavy weight to bear, and such a responsibility, to be a ‘Light unto the Nations’.

Look, considering that I have never been at MoA and I have only heard about it from several of you, may I ask you some questions? If MoA is so obvious that it is a Zionist site, why you looked out there? Moreover, why have you held there until be banned? Perhaps in the beginning it was not so obvious that it was a Zionist site? Do you consider the possibility that you’re not infallible detecting websayanim / hashbara trolls and could be wrong with someone?

Of Penelope I have not seen any indication that is neither Zionist nor troll, sorry, and, in any case, I think it should be the same Saker who must say it.

About your problems with your Iphone, I agree with you that smartphones are a piece of shit. The case of the Iphone I do not know, because I do not invest in these things, rather spend it on traveling, so I have the smartphone that gave me my phone company, plus I never get carried away by advertisements and by life experience I know that not always the most expensive is the best.
I hope that your problems are solved, We miss you around here

About the iPhone, I picked it up for travel purposes, in case I needed use of the web while on the road and in case there wouldn’t be regular internet where I was going, which it turns out there isn’t. Working on the latter, though.

I actually wasn’t sure Penelope was a websayan till rather recently from some things she wrote here regarding Israel. Before I had been convinced she was some sort of western disinfo, but not sure from a Zionist or nonzionist orientation.

I don’t know what else to say, but having scanned through the comments of the last couple of posts on syrianperspective.com, i have no doubts. The Russians have well-prepared, meticulously trained for, far-reaching plans in Syria. This is a game-changer.

Putin to Obama: “These fire-breathing, mountain-throwing takfiris are too much for either of us, right? I have an idea: You take care of them in Iraq, we squash them in Syria. Deal…?”

Therefore, there is no longer Anglo-Zionist. It is Anglo and it is Zionist.

Yes, Netanyahu is now isolated. The ISIS is a myth and under this myth The Empire is now allowing Russia to make Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt to be very, very strong just like before the Camp David kaka (sh*t). Just like before the Camp David accord, these Arab Countries will be given by Russia the best of Military Equipment to beat the mythical ISIS. The days of chaos is over for Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya and so forth.

Neither the US Congress nor Netanyahu can object to beating the ISIS. How could they, as supposedly ISIS is #1 Enemy of USA.

One can see, how easily Obama got the Iran Nuclear Deal passed by the Congress, this should be a dire lesson for both Netanyahu and AIPAC.

Soon, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) will become from G6 to G7, to include Iran. And, then it will become G8 to include Yemen. InshaAllah.

You have to be in Middle East and Especially in GCC, in Oman to know the Pulse.

The guardian is english liar propaganda which was stupidly revived by snowden and before him by jullian assange cover both of whom were betrayed by that evil propaganda organ if english parasites.
Better to not refere to them atall

Adam’s Song: “The woman tempted me and I did eat.” I really doubt that Persian men don’t sing it.

The problem is not “unsolicited” approaches. The problem is the apparently inherent ability of men as a sex see solicitation in everything. The erotomaniac who hears a message from Julia Roberts in a train whistle is one end of a curve.

A woman hitchhiking is “asking for it.” Is “it” “assistance in reaching her destination?

You can teach boys better, but you have to go to the roots. They need to understand that when they are attracted by a woman, this is not something she is doing to them.. They are the owners of their feelings, not just their behaviour.

As a long-standing man, I think you’re right – but there is more to it. It’s very easy indeed for a man to see a woman merely as something very, very attractive and enticing. Presumably this is what is meant by a “sex object”. They really feel about her just as they would feel about a delicious cake or a ripe fruit. What is missing – and it’s very easy to miss, not just in women but in every human being – is the humanity, the fact that she is just as much a free, independent human being as you are. With the same right to respect.

But even then, there is more. If a typical man were approached by an attractive woman who proposed sex to him, he would be flattered and (quite) likely to accept. If he were married or in a firm relationship, he might decline – but he would definitely be tempted. Men need to be taught that women do not usually react in that way. So the situation is asymmetric: even “putting yourself in her shoes” does not work, because she thinks and feels in such a very different way.

For the very many boys and men who do not have enough emotional empathy to intuit how a woman feels, I see no alternative to formal instruction: classes in what it is like to be a woman, and (as Freud put it) “what women want”.

I hope this comment does not offend anyone. I have just tried to be as honest as I can.

Mothers need to teach daughters how to talk to men, boys, and how to raise boys so they do have empathy and can intuit girls and women better.

These are acquired skills and the most logical place to begin is with Nature’s school marm, mom. Women raise weak and irresponsible men. If you want better men, it’s the job for women. Not school teachers, mothers.

Where the culture and societies has failed is right in the family. Raising a child to be a good adult takes about 16-18 years. Most families give up to schools and subject their kids to TV, video games and films to shape attitudes and values. That’s a disaster.

If women want better men, they need to start with their own boys. Then fathers can reinforce those emotions, perceptions and behaviors.

“The problem is the apparently inherent ability of men as a sex see solicitation in everything.”

Not “some men”, not “all men”, just “men”, hmmm. And “men as a sex” – is that men as a subset of human beings? and which subset? Or a subset of “sex” (whatever that might mean)? What could “men not as a sex” be – eunuchs, perhaps? drones? sperm donors? And “solicitation in everything” – really really “everything”?

Whatever your point is, I can’t find it in the illogical and palpably narcissistic way you’ve chosen to express it.

Tom in AZ – I know that there are theories out there that say that one day women will rule the world and men will be unnecessary. I think this is a valid concern. If we, whoever, want the world to be a place for love and development and normal human progress to thrive, we have to be aware of this possibility, as well as many others. Know the truth to be free.

What a great article. Thanks a bunch. The hijab accents a woman’s true beauty, her eyes which are the windows to her soul. In our western sexually repressed and transgressed culture, it’s one big tease with virtually no decency. If we were required to spend a week yearly in a nudist place with our run of the mill American neighbors I think we’d get a rude awakening. We can’t hide too much if we’re naked physically which tells much about our psychology. When I was in grade school some sixty-five years ago I was taught by black robed nuns with white tightly around their faces. I still remember the crystal clear eyes of my eighth grade nun teacher. We also lived in a Polish neighborhood where the babushka was in style. I’m getting pretty paranoid lately with all the conspiracy theories making the rounds; one of them is the babushka lady at the JFK assassination since the babushka is of Russian origin meaning grandmother. If a man is into lust the covered up woman gives his imagination free reign but in a safe country like Iran that is where it must stay. The aboriginals in the hot climates wear little or no clothing but seem to be sexually responsible despite ten thousand + years of patriarchal war on women. In thelovegovernment.com I propose that the aboriginal culture of 100,000 years ago say was very healthy sexually with the nudity. The lies today put Pinocchio to shame for being such an angel. The habit does not make the monk, which I learned well when I was a monk; I think it’s also true that clothing does not make the woman. Universes shine through her eyes, posture, voice, hands…well her whole body and soul. Admiration and lust are very different. Thanks for stimulating my mind with admiration for the heart and soul of love. I’ve played the lust game in my middle life and barely got out alive. I suppose there’s a place for lust in the context of love but that’s a razor’s edge to walk. Love is safe and everlasting.

The release said that though accidents can occur on the job, the majority of deaths this year were intentional, and carried out to silence the press.

“The overwhelming majority of deaths this year, however, have been intentional killings of journalists who were targeted because of their profession or the content of their reporting,” IPI said. “Around the world, 46 journalists have been assassinated or murdered since January, several of whom had previously received death threats or had been kidnapped.”

TEHRAN (FNA)- Nineteen journalists were killed while covering the activities of the ISIL terrorist group this year, according to a press release by the International Press Institute (IPI).

The release said 13 of the 19 journalists whose deaths were tied to the ISIL were Iraqis, Rudaw reported.

“All of the 13 Iraqi journalists killed this year were either executed by the ISiL group militants or died while reporting on ISIL-related conflicts,” according to the IPI.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Boeing voiced willingness to resume cooperation with the Islamic Republic following the removal of sanctions.

The company sees a good opportunity for business in Iran, citing its “long history” in the country and saying it was awaiting a good-ahead from the US government to enter in commercial talks with Iranian airlines, azernews reported.

Iranian officials earlier said the county will need 400-500 civilian aircraft worth at least $20 billion in the next decade to renovate its aging fleet which has suffered under years of US and European sanctions.

“We’re still waiting on getting the go-ahead from our government to still even have those kinds of discussions,” Boeing Vice Chairman Ray Conner said.

The US Treasury Department has granted a temporary permit to sell aircraft parts to Iran’s commercial airlines under an interim nuclear deal dating back to November 2013.

For full-fledged business, however, a landmark nuclear accord reached in July has to be implemented which would entail the removal of all sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Thanks to Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich for this story, I enjoyed it greatly for the allure of Iran that keeps glinting through cracks in the propaganda I’ve lived in all my life in the west. I must try very hard to go to Iran someday.

About a year or so back we heard from, perhaps, an Iranian woman, and somewhere in the comments thread a book was recommended: Daughter of Persia: A Woman’s Journey from Her Father’s Harem Through the Islamic Revolution by Sattareh Farman Farmaian. I’ve come close to buying it, but I don’t read books much lately. I wonder if others who are interested in Iran have any experience of this story.

Sorry for the off-topic, but maybe it isn’t. Anyway, I love the report that Iran is a country in which women are respected for their sublime qualities. Surely this must bode well for happy childhoods also?

When I was a child myself, there was a theme in the West that the duty of a man was to make a situation safe for women and children. I can think of no higher moral imperative than making a nation and then a world safe in such a way. Perhaps Iran is one of the leaders in this task?

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940628001049
TEHRAN (FNA)- Secretary-General of Iraqi Shiite movement, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali took Turkey responsible for intensified terrorist attacks against the Syrian people in the two besieged towns of Kafria and Fuaa in Idlib countryside.

“The Turkish intelligence agency doesn’t allow the siege of Fuaa and Kafria in Syria to be removed,” Khazali was quoted as saying by the Iran-based Arabic-language al-Alam news channel on Saturday.

He, meantime, warned that Ankara’s continued hostile policies against the regional states would endanger its interests.

The Takfiri terrorists have laid a siege on the two Shiite-populated towns of Fuaa and Kafria for around six months now.

The terrorists have been pounding the two towns all throughout the last six months.

Thank you for the article. As usual, in the modern world, truth is punishable and lies are rewarded. This is the root of modern education which serves as preparation for propaganda, for accepting lies from authority (media). Perhaps, it has always been like that but it becomes more and more pernicious and far more invasive then it used to be.

Just as there is no legitimate western government, there is no legitimate western media. All western media must be treated as liars just as their governments are liars. Telling the truth at any time weakens the argument that lying is justified as a tool of government. If the truth is told once, it may be told again in some other situation. This is dangerous. Revealing a truth allows an opinion to be formed based upon it. Such an opinion, formed without any official interference, shows up the ruler as unable to control opinions; even worse, the ruler might not even know about such an unofficial opinion!
Apart from the danger of having unknown, uncontrolled opinions floating around, the fact that the ruler allowed the truth weakens the ruler. The ruler must always have first access to any information; and since any unadulterated information (i.e. truth) may at some point be a danger to the ruler, the ruler must always alter the information to make it favorable to the ruler. Then if the lie proves to be dangerous to the ruler, the lie can be disavowed and replaced by another one. The truth is much harder to disavow than a lie. Any ruler who allows a truth must be an idiot!
Propagating a variety of different lies can be a way of strengthening an illegitimate government even more than allowing only a single lie. The competing lies can form a truth-hiding veil even more opaque than a single lie. This is the genius of the west: two sets of liars!
The only flaw in this strategy is that having to decide between two sets of lies, people gain experience in judging what a lie is; and pretty soon they can tell a lie from the truth, and neither set of lies convinces them. A plague on both your houses, they say. A third lie, a fourth — pretty soon, the population is better at spotting lies than the ruler is at spouting them, and it’s game over! As somebody said, if the government is deceitful, so the people will be deceitful as well.
This applies to any government whose governed population is aware that their government does not really care about them. This is the case regarding all illegitimate western governments. If a government cares about — loves — its people, they will know it, because people sense love. Then the truth is never dangerous, but always good.

I never have seen the benefit of allowing MSM reporters,the ones that “always” trash your country to operate there.I’m not talking of just critics,countries have them among even their own journalists.But the ones whose only purpose in being there is to write trash.Those governments know which is which (hell,even I know some of them).There is nothing gained by not throwing them out.They already condemn you in every story.So you don’t have anything to lose by not throwing them out.Let it be known to those press agencies,that lie’s will be punished by denial of the ability to be based in your country.At least RT tries to accommodate both sides (too accommodating at times).While most of the Western MSM are purely on jihad against Russia (or China,or Iran,or Syria,etc) 24/7.

How torrid! It’s like something from out of Mills and Boon! What’s hidden “under the thick cloak” are not breasts, but Sensationalism.

~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~ ~o~

I do understand CP’s concerns. It’s true that some traditions and social constructs need to be whittled away. (Btw, she might want to take her grievances to Saudi Arabia, a US ally, and see what happens.) But has she given any thought to the possibility that she might be attracting more attention to herself, more so than other women do? The way she wrote the article, I imagine her mostly cringing and trying to scurry away from the scene.

Curiously, modest Gloria Estefan says that she feels safe with a Bad Boy. Ultimately, I think it all boils down to attitude.

I think it’s odd that she wore that dress to a date. But who knows, it might have been a dancing date. I think the dress was quite modest in its own way, and just right for the occasion. I love the way Estefan carried it. Anyway, compared to Gaga and some of the others, that is modest.

Putin/Russia’s latest move in Syria has cut through the propaganda like a knife.
The US has to either come out of the closet and publicly side with ISIS to attack Syria, or join Russia and destroy their own creation.
Nice to watch as the US is being dragged kicking and screaming to destroy their own creation.

I have to say, when I was in Hungary for a (short) visit (Budapest only) I thought the Hungarian women—indeed, a great many of the Hungarian people, men, old women and men, children. as well as younger women—were very attractive. Clear-eyed.
Katherine

Is this not to divert the discussion? Is this not what the trolls do?
Why can you talk about the death of Diana, Pussy Riot, or whatever you damn, right now in this thread, and can not Penelope talk about Boston Marathon´s bombing in another?
Do you consider that you have special rights here in this free blog?

Very true. Down at the very personal level, I believe the below paragraph describes “CP” superbly (emphasis added):

“On the other hand, it may be that she was completely ignored. After all, in many countries around the world men do indeed harass women and make sexual overtures. Some women are flattered while others are offended. But being invisible is not easy to handle. Being invisible may be likened to a blank piece of paper on which one can write anything and all things imaginary – depending on one’s inclination. What is an undisputed fact is that contrary to CP’s report, many Iranian women go all out to become visible.”

Exactly. And if you are an untalented media whore wallowing in vanity, colonial arrogance, and imperialist propaganda, it’s a no-brainer to write a piece such as “How the hijab has made sexual harassment worse in Iran“.

I was just reading up on Russian revolutionary Banukin,(greatly admired by Einstein.)

One of the criticisms lobbied by latter-day idealogues was the secrecy of many of the 19thC societies dedicated to overthrow of plutocrats. They completely fail to understand the degree of risk such revolutionaries took, even with their lives. Banukin spent almost two decades in jails in three countries, including Russia.

Now, with mass-surveillance, and the most absurd pretexts for incarceration (refusing to issue a marriage licence? ), maybe these Pollyannas will change their tune.

Attempts are under way to control the Naming of Names on the internet through pan-libel laws.

But who doesn’t know who S*r*s is?

The smart will have to find ways of obscuring real objectives from The Watchers.

Vowel-denial can be used as a tool by the UnChosen / Chosenite dissenters too.

I suspect that the “Watchers” are themselves looking over their shoulders these days, and that there is a generation coming to awareness and watching them, and that generation sees the potential for growth, and how unnecessary the violence is, and will not tolerate the criminality of the “masters” any more. That is how the human race seems to advance, and while it may be 50-50 in the “good versus evil” contest at any time, over the long haul “good” wins. If I were an actor in the political-financial complex these days, I would be heading for the “good” side as fast as my trotters could carry me. And in case I am wrong, at least thank God someone like Putin came along to block NATO. However it comes about, I see a big peace move coming in, and the criminals will be moving out.

When I taught, I had the pleasure of getting to somewhat know numerous Iranian men and women, all of whom were quite hansom and very articulate, yet modest–and principled. Not all were from big cities. All had horrifying stories to relate about the war waged on them by the Outlaw Empire via its proxy Iraq. And most wanted to finish their education and return to their homeland. Most of what’s published about Iran in the West is bullshit, which is most unfortunate because the land and its people is ancient and they actually have much to teach the West if it would only listen.

Have you been reading Penny’s posts consistently? It’s quite the reverse. She has lately been expressing doubts about Myassan.

I can see why she might have them:his perception of Obama is somewhat positive, not a perception I for one share either.

But these are trivial concerns.

It’s thanks to VNet – and Myassan particular – I learned of the MENA moves to form a trading bloc similar to the EU (Israel was not excluded, but it would not have been able to dominate, as is its wont.)

Juppe (ex-French minister under Chirac, who I think has a conviction for corruption – no link, sorry) was dispatched to lure Turkey away with an offer of long-coveted EU membership.

This collapsed the plan, as Turkey was to ‘bookend’ the bloc at the European end with Iran at the Middle East end.

That was when the usual suspects made their moves, and why we are where we are now.

That article, as well as his illuminating pieces on the make-up and geography of the Kurds has been among the most enlightening information I have come across on the net.

That ‘Kurdistan’ is a contrivance by the energy cartels to control the region is abundantly clears to me now, as it seems to be to the Syrian Kurds too. Assad dealt with the issue extremely adroitly by emphasizing Syria’s multi-ethnic composition with no basis for any ethnic group to form a separate nation.

I get the impression (still researching it) the Iraqi Kurds are also much more aware of being ‘played’, including by opportunistic clans and individuals within their own populations.

So Voltairenet (which the Saker blog has an RSS feed from, doesn’t it?) is well worth bookmarking and should not be viewed as some disinfo outlet, just because some of Myassan’s perceptions/impressions don’t tally with ours: he is still a first-rate journalist.

Eimar, perhaps this week Penelope has been questioning Voitairenet…but last week we heard from her (Penelope), that Meyssan, whose articles I find unclear and not as ‘honest and up front’ as the articles posted here at Saker’s… last week, we heard from Penelope that Meyssan was adviser to the Administration of Syria…(perhaps even Assad ?) That there were troops flying into Syria from Russia. She posted about three links a day about it. Hysterically barking and whistling so that we all would know that…Russia was sending troops to Syria.

Now its the exact opposite from Penelope – I read a comment from her last night, telling an anonymous “…there are no troops in Syria…”

This is a complete 180….

And if you blog on someone else’s blog, like Penelope does, especially when its a truthful blog like Saker’s where he doesn’t get all up in arms about every rumor out there, as he himself states clearly, then I would have expected the same integrity as Saker …that’s what I would expect. When Penelope is taking advantage of the ‘ready made’ audience that Saker has built up, then I would expect to see the same high integrity as Saker himself.

This is what I expect and I’m saying so.

When it comes to news, people have short memories. Don’t you remember Eimar, last week, when it was all about Russian troops in Syria, who it was that was bringing all the half truths from Voltairenet and Moon Over Alabama, over here ?

And then, I will mention again another problem I have with the half truths of Penelope… Penelope doesn’t think it important how the Twin Trade Towers came down…

I guess the whole 9/11 truth movement is somewhat similar. such as: no agreements on whether or not there were Jihadists involved…no agreement on the actual destruction of the buildings, was it nukes or thermal nano particles blah blah blah… and aggressive behavior towards someone else, who was in the 9/11 movement, such as Judy Wood, who had done far FAR more research into the method of destruction, and who was then ostracized for her research, by people like Penelope who don’t really care how the buildings came down(!!) and who find irrelevant all the sacrifices Judy Wood has had to make in her life to stand up for her research into 9/11….

There are journalists and bloggers out there who bark loudly up any tree at the sound of half truths, and don’t really care anyway… Penelope told an anonymous a few days ago, in a superior kind of way that it wasn’t important how the 9/11 crime was done. This leads other people who follow her here at Saker’s to perhaps have that opinion as well.

Someone who’s got a big following on someone else’s blog, like Penelope can be challenged every once in a while by someone else, who spends alot of time here, and who cherishes the truthful integrity of Saker.

And this comment will have to do for all the other people who are followers of Penelope such as Elsi, who want to pick my bones.

I didn’t know Penelope had her own blog, though I am unlikely to add it to my ‘must read jlist. At the end of the day, American views are second-hand. I prefer, even with the limitations of machine translate to go to original sources from the MENA, bearing in mind that many outlets are Saudi-controlled: Fars News Agency (Iran), Al-Manar (Lebanese), Syrian Arab News Agency/SyrianPerspective have proven to be the best for me as they are pretty up-front and make no pretence of their allegiances. They are honest and clear in their perspectives.

So I don’t bother with MoA much, or other American sites like the Intercept.

Consortium News is an occasional stop as it is good on exposing the American MIC. – Global Research is much more comprehensive, if at times a bit sensationalist in tone but it is consistent in its world-view. Some of the best articles I have read are from that site.

Voltairenet is best on exposing the players in the various Intel services, the politicians involved and the relationship they have to the energy cartels. Also very good on who is financing who. But it is limited to a good understanding of Zionist machinations. particularly in relation to France/Israel.

Myassan is not really great on Russian strategy, and is inclined to make up for his uncertainty with speculations, which, because they are delivered in a decisive style, seem to to come from supposed ‘insider information.’ Sorry. but I can’t see Mr Lavrov keeping Thierry up to scratch on Russian decisions. Those decisions will be made with whoever is directly involved, not through media. Lavrov, it seems to me, uses media in only two ways: to inform of decisions or to correct misinformation. He keeps it to the minimum as diplomacy/conflict-resolution is his real job.

As for the Russian ‘presence’ in Syria..the issue is framed in a way I consider to be a red herring.

Syria is a sovereign state. The Syrian Assad government is the democratic expression of the Syrian people. They are perfectly entitled to make decisions and ally with whom them wish – they have that mandate from their electorate. That includes a Russian ‘presence’ in whatever form is acceptable to them. Why should the issue be framed as some kind of ‘invasion’ by the Anglophone media? Why should I enter that frame? I won’t.

So hopefully you can see I am not likely to affected by any disinfo tactics, whether they exist on this blog or not. The Saker is extremely up-front as you say about his own uncertainties, as well as his value-system so he attracts a readership that values honesty. That readership is not likely to be led astray for too long as it is essentially questioning in the interest of truth.

Re 9/11: Yes, how the buildings were destroyed is central to the truth. Any claims otherwise should be ignored, wherever they come from. It is simply too absurd to entertain.

Re the Boston bombing: I know someone who lost her left foot in this so-called hoax. There maybe many questions around who was really responsible, or how many were really injured/died. But a bomb did go off.

thanks Eimar for your long detailed comments always…you sure know more than I do about what’s going on.

And I’m also kind of sorry to have stirred the pot so much…I was wondering all day if Saker would send me an email “thanks but so long”…ah well, Mohammed put it very well when he said he and Nora used to think Larchmont is a troll…funny

And the Oriental Review is good too I think, although I don’t go there every day or anything close. I only go to a couple of sites every day besides Saker. I actually go to RT for the ‘news’ and I go to Solari every day, although she doesn’t change her stuff every day…but she has some good ones sometimes….and I go to Russia Insider although they’re asking for money now is so aggressive that I wonder how long I can stand it…and ICH…and then I check out what Ron Paul has to say in his Liberty Report….

But I agree that Global Research is the most comprehensive of them all. Besides Saker’s of course which is where I spend most of my time…reading comments…

I do not find Mrs. Sepahpour-Ulrich’s article the least bit worthy of distribution. Is the “villain’s” intent to disseminate insidious propaganda to her audience? Or is it her own shallow thoughts being given a podium by bull crap western, MSM rags? Is the content of any real importance to the bigger picture?
Those raised to respect not only women but all persons easily comprehend the complete lack of importance of both the original article and the respondee’s take on it. There are much larger fish to fry. Personally, I would never make myself appear a fool by making unwanted comments or actions toward any woman. A man would find it personally degrading to bring attention to oneself by such means. You either have it or you don’t.

So, The Saker, Global Research, and Veterans News Now, are “bull crap, MSM rags” since that’s where Ms Sepahpour-Ulrich’s article was published, Global Research being the primary source? Or did you not learn how to critically read and write. You have done exactly what you wrote you wouldn’t do: “appear a fool.”

I was speaking of the person who wrote the article that Ulrich was commenting upon. The rag is the MSM source/s who published it. Not those that published Ulrich. The point was the entire subject is unimportant as far as issues of critical importance. So genius who is it who lacks the ability to think critically or read at all for that matter. If you have a personal agenda at least have the heart to post your name.

Well what CP describes in iran would end up being a flogging for harassing women. It would not be tolerated! I lived in the middle east and it would not be tolerated anywhere there or in any Muslim country. Actually there are a few rude and obnoxious men everywhere but they are rare. And women do get hurt.. But this would be the same in every country. I bet more women are raped in the US than any other country in the world. It was like 25% of all women in the US were raped at one point in their lives. Many by being too drunk or on drugs or being drugged. That alone takes out the largest factor in women being raped. With all the news of india, you would think the number there would be like 50% instead of less than 5% and closer to 1-2%.. Such behavior is not tolerated and so it becomes big news when it happens. In a Muslim country the penalty is very high.. and rarely the women are also punished but for the men it is death. flouting by women are not tolerated and that is why they are usually found guilty even if they got raped. You just can not behave like you can in the US where half your under wear is sticking out of your pants with almost none of it doing its underwearly duties.. . I think such things would mostly bring out animosity rather than cat calls… People would show they are offended and instead of whistling they would be throwing out epithets. Which might sound like lust if you don’t know the language.. The cops will definitely harass you in many countries..

I think CF was referring to the subject of Soraya’s piece – the writer at the Tehran Bureau for The Guardian and other Western outlets.

Charles:

‘Women’s rights’ have been used as a pretext for invasion in the past, most notoriously in Afghanistan. Nevermind that the Taliban’s violent misogyny was no barrier to funding/arming them in the first place — by the very same forces that offered subsequent ‘rescue.

The hijab is a recurrent MSM trope to exemplify Islamic repression of women, so the Guardian article was obviously intended to re-ignite the ‘USv Them (Iran) faultline.

As attempts go, the Graun piece is pretty feeble stuff. But you would not believe the way American students are being brain-washed, especially the girls. So it is a good thing to remind these unthinking, incurious dolts that all is not as it seems, particularly through the multiple distortions of the Anglo – American media lens.

Persons who believe in equality of all and who make it a point to be informed need not be reminded of what you mention they already are aware of the points you make. However I thank you for reminding me why I hold certain convictions. I merely believe there are “bigger fish to fry”. A last comment, when one truly believes that we are all equal and deserving of respectful treatment simply because of being a fellow human, one must by necessity also respect others traditions and cultures. The exception being sociopathic groups or individuals who harm or murder simply because they do not wish to be like them. Takfiris, etc.

Well, even though Iranian society seemed to me extremely polite, friendly and respectful, as an occasional visitor to Iran for 20 days, I must say that I find really uncomfortable the hijab. When temperatures are high, about 40 or more, the hijab, or a simple scarf, gives a lot of heat. In addition, after leading my hair covered for 20 days, except at night, I noticed that my hair fell a lot.

I really do not think that the hijab highlight the beauty of women, as noted by a commentator, and, above all, my rational mind does not understand what’s wrong with the hair of women that is not with the hair of men. Needless to say that neither I understand what’s wrong with my feet that is not with men´s feet. In a mausoleum, on the advice of a guard woman, I was forced to wear other person´s socks, very sweaty, if I wanted to continue my visit, to my astonishment to see how the male members of my group sauntered barefoot without any inconvenience by anyone. In all these attitudes I can only see the misogyny of some ( men and women ) who believe that there is something wrong or unclean into the body of a woman and that has nothing to do with Islam conveyed by the Prophet

As to whether it is men or women who are supporters of the hijab, well, in my brief stay I noticed that there is for all tastes. For example, one day I was heading to my hotel´s elevator to go down to breakfast without scarf, I simply forgot it finding myself unusually comfortable, and I was rebuked by a woman. On the other hand, at a time of the trip, I decided to use some scarfs bought in Yazd, in bright colors, which, not being very large and being very unsteady, I decided to adjust the ancient Basque peasant style ( to your understanding similar to Uzbek style ), finding myself much more comfortable with my neck free in the air in those dog days of the Iranian summer, and in this manner I visited a major madrasa of Isfahan, where I took tea with some very friendly clerics who did not seem at all offended.

So, IMHO, I think one should be free to cover or not the hair according to its customs or desires, but should never be an imposition.

Thank you Soraya for this report. Such vicious and insulting lies were spread about Syria for years, not to mention the “revolution” propaganda of the Takfiris since 2011 and of course we see the most concerted efforts to misrepresent, defame and degrade a great society and nation that is more free than any other country I have visited, let alone live/d in: Russia.

You are absolutely right about imposition being the main issue. So is manipulation through media and finance in the West. Thanks for your personally illuminating post.

Charles,

Point taken. Yes, issues of equality span a broad spectrum. Yes, there are more important issues than this. And yes, the West’s hypocrisy re Middle East cultures v the West is breathtaking – nowhere moreso than on women’s issues.

But I don’t think Sorbaya’s article is aimed at people like us, capable of seeing multiple sides while maintaining a grasp on first principles – not easy, I admit.

It is aimed at the same audience as the original writer, and they have little or no understanding of media manipulations.

“The hijab is a personal thing, I think that although there are patterns, if you feel that you are modest, that you are pleasing God, if you feel you’re pleasing yourself, then you respect your body, basically, I think it could be considered a form of hijab, because the hijab simply means going covered, being modest, it does not say that you have to wear one thing or the other.”

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